The findings revealed that nocturnal sleep duration full moon compared to new moon reported an average decrease of five minutes.
To establish if lunar phases somehow do affect humans, an international group of researchers studied children to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities.
 To establish if lunar phases somehow do affect humans, an international group of researchers studied children to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities.

While the full moon cannot turn people into werewolves, some people do accuse it of causing a bad night’s sleep or creating physical and mental alterations. But is there any science behind these myths?

To establish if lunar phases somehow do affect humans, an international group of researchers studied children to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities. The results were published in Frontiers in Pediatrics.

“We considered that performing this research on children would be particularly more relevant because they are more amenable to behaviour changes than adults and their sleep needs are greater than adults,” said Dr Jean-Philippe Chaput, from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute.

The study was completed on a total of 5,812 children from five continents. The children came from a wide range of economic and sociocultural levels, and variables such as age, sex, highest parental education, day of measurement, body mass index score, nocturnal sleep duration, level of physical activity and total sedentary time were considered.

The findings obtained in the study revealed that in general, nocturnal sleep duration around full moon compared to new moon reported an average decrease of five minutes (or a one per cent variant). No other activity behaviours were substantially modified.

“Our study provides compelling evidence that the moon does not seem to influence people’s behaviour. The only significant finding was the one per cent sleep alteration in full moon, and this is largely explained by our large sample size that maximises statistical power,” said Chaput.

 The clinical implication of sleeping five minutes less during full moon does not represent a considerable threat to health. “Overall, I think we should not be worried about the full moon. Our behaviours are largely influenced by many other factors like genes, education, income and psychosocial aspects rather than by gravitational forces,” he added.

Rocky Yadav, the son of a JDU leader who allegedly shot dead a teenager for overtaking his SUV in Bihar's Gaya on Saturday, has been arrested, police said.

Confirming the arrest, Gaya's Senior Superintendent of Police Garima Mallick said, " We have been carrying out regular raids and based on our interrogation of various people we have made the arrest. I cannot give you more details right now."

The arrest happened a day after Rocky's mother Manorama Devi, member of leglislative council, was  interrogated. Sources said Rocky was picked up from a factory located on the road to Bodh Gaya, in which Bindi Yadav, Rocky's father, has business interests.

Aditya Sachdeva, 19, was driving home with friends in his Maruti Swift when he overtook the politician's son Range Rover.


Rocky Yadav, 30, son of a JD(U) leader allegedly shot dead the teenager.
His friends claim that Rocky then fired a warning shot from the SUV, forcing Mr Sachdeva to stop, after which he was beaten up and then shot at. He died on the spot.

"I would like to fold my hands and ask Nitish Kumar to please get this boy justice," Mr Sachdeva's cousin Rishi Sachdeva appealed to the Bihar Chief Minister .


The Range Rover belonging to JD(U) leader Manorama Devi's family and the Swift in which the teenager who was killed was travelling.
Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister, has rebuked the media and political opponents for what he describes as "focusing not on what but who". That clumsy comment rankles, though the Chief Minister has stressed that the suspect's bodyguard has been arrested along with his father for helping organize his escape.

His mother, Manorama Devi had told NDTV,  "We don't know where he is, he will surrender. We didn't play a role in his escape."

The Chief Minister has denied that this is the latest in a snaking line of crimes that expose the "jungle raj" or return of lawlessness to Bihar, as alleged by the main opposition party, the BJP

Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India.

1. BSF troops seize fake currency, 900 cattle on Indo-Bangla border
Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India.

Troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) deployed along the India-Bangladesh border under the Guwahati sector on Saturday night seized fake Indian currency notes worth Rs 1.5 lakhs, but not before a mob on the international boundary in Dhubri district attacked them and freed the main culprit, reported the Indian Express daily.

While a joint operation team of the BSF and Assam Police was carrying out an operation based on specific intelligence inputs in a house in Jordanga village under Mankachar police station in Dhubri district located close to the international boundary, the villagers comprising women and children too encircled the troops, assaulted them and would have killed them, had more reinforcements not reached the spot on time.

2. MCD bypolls: BJP releases names of candidates

The BJP Sunday announced its list of 13 candidates who will contest for the post of councillors in the MCD bypolls in May.
The BJP gave tickets to three of its former MLAs and family members of a few party workers, reported the Indian Express daily.

The three former MLAs are Mahendra Nagpal, who will contest from Wazirabad ward, Krishan Gehlot, who will contest from Nawada, and Jitender Singh Shunty who will contest from Jhilmil.

3. Under RTE: Government definition of 'orphans' unclear, puts them at disadvantage

Three years after the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into force, an NGO approached the Delhi High Court with a plea to include the city's orphans under "disadvantaged categories" for admission under the RTE. The HC allowed orphans to be added to the category, reported the Indian Express daily.

When the Directorate of Education (DoE) announced guidelines for nursery admission for the 2013-14 academic year, for the first time, it stated that "orphans" be included "within the meaning of children belonging to disadvantaged groups".

4. Private schools need Delhi government's nod to fire teachers, rules SC

A driver who was sacked by a private school in 2003 has secured a judgment from the Supreme Court forbidding recognised schools in Delhi from dismissing any employee, including teachers, without "prior approval" of the director of education.

In its judgment on April 13, SC upheld a provision in the Delhi School Education Act 1973 that requires all recognised schools to obtain the government's approval before sacking an employee. The section -8(2) of the DSEA 1973 -had been struck down by the Delhi high court in July 2005, reported the Times of India daily.

5. Government mulls sops to attract doctors to rural postings

A severe shortage of doctors in rural areas has forced the health ministry to dust off an earlier proposal to post MBBS students in the hinterland. However, this time, it may not make a rural stint mandatory.

Instead, the plan is to incentivise students and doctors by making their access to postgraduate courses easier or by offering them better pay .

"The ministry has deliberated on the plan and it has in principle approval from the health minister. A formal proposal with details of incentives has to be drawn up before we take it to the next level in the government for approval," a senior official told the Times of India daily.

Dipa Karmakar on Sunday created history by becoming the first ever Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Karmakar produced a strong show, finishing ninth in the first of the four subdivisions of the women's artistic category, at the Final Qualifier and Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro.

She garnered a total score of 52.698 points. Her final rankings will be known only after completion of the event with competition in three other subdivisions going on currently.

Her first vault, the much difficult Produnova, gave Karmakar 15.066 points, the highest among the 14 competitors. But a poor show in the uneven bars took her points down as she collected 11.700, the second worse among the 14 participants.

The Tripura girl secured 13.366 and 12.566 points in the beam and floor exercises.

Gymnastic officials said that her Rio Games berth is more or less assured after the strong show.
"Dipa is 100 per cent assured of an Olympic berth with this 52.698 score. There are three subdivisions to go but she has already beaten gymnasts from three countries. So she has qualified," international referee Deepak Kagra told PTI.

"This Test event has participants from 33 countries and since her score is above the participants of at least three countries, she will finish in the top 30 country-wise. That is enough for her to qualify for Rio Olympics," he added.

The 22-year-old could not clinch an Olympic berth in the World Championships in November last as she finished outside the podium, in fifth place.

She was earlier put as second reserve for the ongoing Olympic Test event in Rio but was informed last month that she had sneaked into the shortlist of participants.

Karmakar had created history by becoming the first woman gymnast to win a medal -- a bronze -- in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. He then became the first Indian woman gymnast to feature in the finals of World Championships in November last.

Quinton de Kock anchored the Delhi Daredevils' chase of RCB's 191 with an innings full of flair and strokeplay.

We felt the Royal Challengers Bangalore were 20-odd runs short of what they would have needed on this wicket and the momentum they maintained for the most part of their innings. In the end, the Delhi batting line-up was not tested much, partly due to RCB's underperformance at the death and due to Quinton de Kock's scintillating shotmaking.

Watson was a breath of fresh air, featuring in every department: bat, ball and in the field. On which note, do yourself a favour and watch this Christlike miracle one more time:

But that moment of brilliance wasn't enough to thwart the Daredevils, who bowled some excellent overs at the death of RCB's innings (courtesy Chris Morris and Mohammad Shami), then maintained scoring momemtum really well despite the early wicket (courtesy Wiese-Watson), and then... de Kock happened.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli says this loss is tough to swallow. Underscores how important it is for bowlers to believe they can get a wicket every ball, and that batsmen can sense hesitation on the bowler's part. An interesting insight every time Kohli speaks.

Delhi Daredevils captain Zaheer Khan says his bad over helped him realise that his bowlers must bowl back of length. Hm, great example of self-effacing captaincy. He gives credit to Shami and Morris, but also questions the wisdom of having removed Gayle from the middle with such haste.

Man of the Match Quinton de Kock says it was a good wicket where looking to hit good cricket shots and running the twos got them through. Most of these were done by him, just saying.

DD 192/3 after 19.1 overs (JP Duminy 7 off 5 | K Nayar 54 off 42 || win by 7 wickets)

Some comedy there at the very end with just the one to get. JP Duminy plays it back to the bowler Chahal, who flicks it back to the non-striker's stumps, misses, and the batsmen run the overthrow.

DD 191/3 after 19 overs (JP Duminy 6 off 4 | K Nayar 54 off 42 || need 1 from 6 balls)

De Kock (108 from 51) can't, sadly, stay to bring it home for his team after all the work. Watson has him caught behind off a riser. Duminy comes in and takes up from where his Saffer teammate left off, drilling a short wide one through the Covers for four. A leg bye and a two later, the over ends and DD are left with just 1 to get.

DD 183/2 after 18 overs (de Kock 108 off 50 | K Nayar 53 off 41 || need 9 from 12 balls)

De Kock, de Kock, de Kock! Centurion off 48 balls. Yet again with a sliced square-cut. Applause is sadly very limited for the away batsman despite a genuinely great innings. The crowd goes even quieter when he thick-edges a Wiese slower one through Third-man for four. And then a scorcher that scrapes the floor the whole time through the Covers.

DD 171/2 after 17 overs (de Kock 99 off 47 | K Nayar 51 off 38 || need 21 from 18 balls)

Nayar does get to his milestone first. A classy straight loft for six takes him closer, and he completes the formality with a single. Didn't think he was getting any runs, Nayar. Slowly and silently built his score. Meanwhile, de Kock reaches 99 with a four off the final ball of Harshal's over.

DD 158/2 after 16 overs (de Kock 94 off 45 | K Nayar 43 off 44 || need 34 from 24 balls)

Nayar nudges a four past the keeper to take the partnership past 100 runs. De Kock slashes the same bowler through Extra Cover for four to move into the 90s. Nayar closing in on his fifty. Who will get to their milestone first? Meanwhile, Daredevils looking comfortable to get this total, by all conservative estimates.

DD 146/2 after 15 overs (de Kock 88 off 42 | K Nayar 37 off 31 || need 46 from 30 balls)

Watson comes back in for his third over. Decidedly bowling into the body of the right-hander, towards middle and leg. Still gets struck on the up by the left-hander de Kock down the ground for four.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Rising Pune Supergiants would look to get their IPL campaign back on track after losing to Gujarat Lions. They have a brilliant opportunity at hand as they face a demoralised Kings XI Punjab, who are yet to win a game. Get live cricket score and updates of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) vs Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) here. (LIVE SCORECARD | POINTS TABLE | FIXTURES | NEWS | LIVE STREAMING | PLAY FANTASY CRICKET)

16:18 hrs IST: Now du Plessis joins in! FOUR!!!! These have decided to target Patel! 14 off the 4th over!

16:17 hrs IST: And Pietersen gets into the act immediately! Consecutive boundaries off Axar Patel.

16:16 hrs IST: Kevin Pietersen and Faf du Plessis at the crease. If these 2 can go on, RPS can get a big score here.

16:15 hrs IST:RPS 13/1! Three runs and a wicket from the third over!

16:12 hrs IST: Rahane played it early, inside edge and leg stump knocked out!

16:10 hrs IST:Bowled!!!! Rahane trying to be aggressive, plays on and is bowled by Sandeep Sharma!

16:09 hrs IST: Another boundary from Rahane in the second over, RPS 10 for no loss.

16:04 hrs IST: Five dot balls and one boundary. Sums up the first over!

16:02 hrs IST:FOUR!!!!! off the fourth ball of the match! Rahane off the mark!

15:59 hrs IST: Faf du Plessis and Ajinkya out to bat for RPS while Sandeep Sharma to open the proceedings for the Punjab team!

15:55 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Gujarat Lions all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will tie the knot today. Watch his sword skills here.

15:53 hrs IST: The PCA Stadium is filling up. Lot of IPL enthusiasts can be seen entering the stadium, braving the heat!

15:45 hrs IST: Kings XI desperately need a win today. Even though it is only the start of the tournament, a third consecutive loss will put them way behind everyone in the league. They will find it really tough to enter the knockouts then.

15:44 hrs IST: And we see MS Dhoni warm-up with Kevin Pietersen!

15:41 hrs IST: RPS on the other hand have made as many as three changes! Mitchell Marsh, Rudra Pratap Singh and Rajat Bhatia have been replaced by Irfan Pathan, Ankit Sharma and Thisara Perera!

15:40 hrs IST: Kings XI have made only one change. Abbot comes in to replace Mitchell Johnson.

15:39 hrs IST: And here are the playing XI of both the teams:

Kings XI Punjab: Murali Vijay, Manan Vohra, Shaun Marsh, David Miller, Glenn Maxwell, Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha, Mohit Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Pardeep Sahu, Sandeep Sharma

Rising Pune Supergiants: Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Kevin Pietersen, Steven Smith, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Thisara Perera, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Ankit Sharma, Murugan Ashwin

15:36 hrs IST: Kings XI are looking to break their losing streak. They have so far lost both their matches. On the other hand, RPS have won and lost one each.

15:35 hrs IST: This is the 10th match of the ninth edition of IPL!

15:34 hrs IST: Here we see the home team warming up ahead of the important clash.

As you all must be aware, Rahul Raj Singh, late Balika Vadhu actress Pratyusha Banerjee‘s boyfriend, was getting treated for depression at Shree Sai Hospital and it seems his condition was pretty grim. According to a daily, he threatened to jump off the building after Police interrogated him.

The daily reported that Rahul was taken to Bangur Nagar Police station for questioning on Friday morning. He returned to the hospital after two hours of interrogation. Later, he went to the bathroom and locked himself up in the first floor of the hospital. When he didn’t emerge out of it for long, relatives panicked and the doctor was called. When the relatives urged him to come out, he bellowed that he will jump off the building. Doctors then calmed him down, post which he came out of the bathroom.

Rahul went through a psychiatric evaluation on Saturday evening, post which he was discharged. But doctors have asked him to continue his meds and counselling, the daily reports. Pratyusha’s father had earlier approached the Medical Association against the hospital for shielding Rahul. He smells a conspiracy there. He had sent a letter to the association saying all that and also added that the hospital apparently is known for harbouring criminals. Such allegations were dismissed by Dr. Surinder Goel from Shree Sai Hospital. The daily quoted him saying, “Where is the question of conspiracy? My work is done the moment he is alright. If he is a criminal, he should be given the heaviest punishment.”

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson is mighty impressed with young Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan, who he says is an incredible batsman with amazing control over his shots.

Sarfaraz smashed 35 runs off just 10 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes, to propel Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 200-plus total against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.

"He is an incredible young man and there is no doubt that he has worked extremely hard to get all kinds of shots right. The control over shots he has... Never seen before for a young talent like him. It shows he has practised hell of a lot, and we saw him this [against SRH]," he told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Watson also said it is a pleasure to watch AB de Villiers bat. The South African batsman hammered Hyderabad bowlers around the park with a whirlwind knock of 82, that was laced with seven fours and six shots over the ropes.

"What I saw tonight is as good as batting I have ever seen. He didn't look like taking risk at all in his entire innings. One shot he played off the backfoot for a six is an incredible shot to play, and he does it with so much of ease is really a pleasure to watch. He executes his shots incredibly well," he said.

Replying to a query, Watson said there is no need for changing batting order of Chris Gale, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, as it gives a momentum to the team.

"This I saw happening in the previous season when I was playing as a rival for Rajasthan Royals. So, why should one change the order when the top three are delivering. You need to take early wickets, otherwise you are in deep trouble, and that's what exactly happened tonight," he said.

Watson did not read much into Chris Gayle's failure at the top.

"It is not going to be everyone's day. Chris got out early, but we had depth in batting with likes of Kedar Jadhav, Sarfaraz, AB and Kohli in our side," he said.

Watson also said that the way Kohli and De Villiers batted together in their magnificent 157-run partnership he felt he wouldn't get to bat.

Watson eventually turned out to bat and contributed in his team's cause with a 19-run cameo that had three sixes.

"More than anything else playing before your home crowd is a very nice feeling. We did not get to play that many matches in Jaipur - my previous home ground," he said.

Asked about his improving relations with Gayle, Watson said it is amazing that a couple of commercials provided an opportunity for both to know each other better.

"Relations with Gayle has been very good so far. We had couple of commercials as well which gave us a chance to know each other better after few run-ins in the past. Don't know how it works when I am playing alongside him in one team. This is the beauty of cricket," he said.

Watson said he was happy to claim David Warner's wicket because he has the potential to turn the match on its head with his power hitting.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan, whose name figured in the Panama Paper leaks as allegedly having links with offshore entities in two tax havens, on Tuesday denied any connection with those companies, saying his name may have been “misused”.

He also claimed that even the news report had not suggested any wrongdoing on his part.

The Indian Express carried a report on Monday based on leaked documents of a Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca which is said to feature links of over 500 Indians to firms and accounts in offshore tax havens.

Referring to the report, Bachchan, 73, said, “I do not know any of the companies referred to by Indian Express - Sea Bulk Shipping Company Ltd, Lady Shipping Ltd, Treasure Shipping Ltd, and Tramp Shipping Ltd. I have never been a director of any of the above stated companies. It is possible that my name has been misused.

“I have paid all my taxes including on monies spent by me overseas. Monies that I have remitted overseas have been in compliance with law, including remittances through Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), after paying Indian taxes. In any event the news report in Indian Express does not even suggest any illegality on my part,” his statement read.

The names of his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, her parents and brother also figured in the leaked documents as being directors in a firm in the British Virgin Islands.

The newspaper quoted her media adviser Archana Sadanand, who raised questions about the International Consortium of Investigating Journalists and said all the information the paper had was totally untrue and false.

 Sunanda Pushkar, died of poisoning, a report by an All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) panel confirmed on Friday.

BJP member Subramanian Swamy on Saturday claimed that the FBI found the presence of heart arrest injectable poison Lidocaine in the body of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of former Union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. He questioned Delhi Police Chief BS Bassi that why he was silent about the matter and did not reveal it to the media.

    Police Commissioner is not telling the media that the FBI found the presence of heart arrest injectable poison lidocaine in Sunanda body.
    — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) January 16, 2016

Sunanda Pushkar, died of poisoning, a report by an All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) panel confirmed on Friday.
The 43-page report, submitted to the Delhi police, also upheld the findings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s forensics report.

In February 2015, the viscera samples were sent to the FBI lab in Washington DC to determine the kind of poison that killed her, following contrary reports from the AIIMS and the Delhi police. They differed over whether she was poisoned or died from an antidepressant overdose.

Delhi police chief BS Bassi told the press that the cause of death was "unnatural". "The current investigation of the final viscera report submitted to the Delhi police states that Sunanda Pushkar did not die a natural death. That is for certain. It was an unnatural death," Bassi said.

Pushkar was found dead inside her suite at a five-star hotel here in January 2014, a day after she was involved in a spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar on Twitter over the latter's alleged affair with Tharoor.

The Forensics and Toxicology department at AIIMS, the country's premier medical facility, said that the cause of death was poisoning, and that there were more than one chemical that had been identified. However, the names of the chemicals were not revealed.

Sources said that the AIIMS report noted that the medical board had given poisoning as the cause of death in the column of opinion after the examination of Puskhar's body on January 18, 2014.

The FBI was sent samples of the stomach, spleen, liver, kidney and urine. Sources said that their analysis endorsed the cause of death, saying that the same poison was present in all of them. It endorsed the AIIMS post-mortem report.

The government on Friday constituted a committee headed by film-maker Shyam Benegal to look into the revamp of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The committee, which will submit its report in two months, also includes film-maker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Piyush Pandey and film critic Bhawana Somaaya. National Film Development Council managing director Nina Lath Gupta and joint secretary (films) Sanjay Murthy will also be part of the committee.

The government said in a statement that the panel has been formed “in sync with the vision” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The recommendations of the committee are expected to provide a holistic framework and enable those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view this framework, the statement said.
“During their deliberations, the committee will be expected to take note of the best practices in various parts of the world, especially where the film industry is given sufficient and adequate space for creative and aesthetic expression,” the statement said.

The committee will recommend broad guidelines, procedures under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, and rules for the benefit of the chairperson and other members of the screening committee. The staffing pattern of the CBFC will also be looked into in an effort to recommend a framework which would provide efficient, transparent user-friendly services, the statement added.

The announcement on Friday came within days of information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Arun Jaitley saying that the “time has come” to have a re-look at the functioning of the CBFC as he would like the Censor Board to be “controversy- free”.

Film-makers have complained of arbitrary objections and cuts sought by the Censor Board in the recent past, including criticism for cuts in the latest James Bond movie Spectre for screening in India. A list of banned “cuss” words, circulated by CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani had also become a subject of controversy.

 The blind and unreasonable belief started in 1988 with then chief minister late Veer Bahadur Singh who experienced the "curse" first hand. Later, ND Tiwari, Kalyan Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati "have also fallen prey" to this phenomenon.

It might constitute a serious breach of protocol. But, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav would still not go to Noida to receive the Prime Minister there on Thursday. The reason: the Noida jinx.

For the uninitiated, that is the fear of UP chief ministers that a visit to Noida brings misfortune, preventing the incumbent from remaining in his seat of power for long. Akhilesh, projected as a young and modern-thinking politician, has also been stricken by this patently baseless apprehension.
The blind and unreasonable belief started in 1988 with then chief minister late Veer Bahadur Singh who experienced the "curse" first hand. Later, ND Tiwari, Kalyan Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati "have also fallen prey" to this phenomenon.

The PM would be in Noida to inaugurate the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. As a matter of protocol, both the CM and the Governor receive the PM when he visits their state. On Thursday, while UP Governor Ram Naik would be there to receive Modi, the CM will stay away.

Whether it was the inauguration of the Yamuna Expressway or other projects, laying the foundation of a university or opening Nasscom's Noida office, Akhilesh has preferred to press the remote control button from Lucknow or Delhi, assiduously avoiding the allegedly cursed destination. Even the horrific episode in Dadri (Noida), where a Muslim man Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched on suspicion of eating beef, failed to shake up Akhilesh enough.

Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo moves towards a smashing success as it crossed the 400 crore mark at the global box office last night. According to trade figures, the film had made 207.4 crores (305 crore gross) in India until Monday, followed by a further 14.2 million dollars (93.7 crores gross) in the overseas market reaching a total of 398.7 crore globally. The family entertainer starring Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor was seen trending nationally on social networking site Twitter, and has become the highest ever grossing Diwali movie.

The comeback of the hit duo coupled with the fresh pairing of Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor, has been deeply appreciated by the audience as is seen from the increasing trade figures. The films music which has been given by India’s Rockstar Himesh Reshammiya, also added to the success, as whenever Himesh and Salman work together, they are known to give us a super-hit soundtrack. The songs of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo are no different and they continue to ride high in all the charts!

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo a Rajshri productions film, presented by Fox Star Studios, is an Indian family entertainer, directed by Sooraj Barjatya. The film stars Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Anupam Kher in the lead roles and has music by Himesh Reshammiya with lyrics by Irshad Kamil. The film released this Diwali November 12, 2015 and is in cinemas worldwide.

  The European Union made its strongest call yet for China and other Asian nations to resolve their dispute over the South China Sea, a position Brussels insists is neutral but that the United States is likely to welcome after pressing the bloc to speak up.

At a summit of EU and Asian foreign ministers, Beijing escaped any public admonishment over its construction and militarisation of islands in the South China Sea but the EU's foreign policy chief took a firm line in the bloc's first public comments since Washington patrolled the area this month.

"We are committed to a maritime order based on the principles of international law," Federica Mogherini told a news conference when asked about the dispute. "We oppose any attempt to assert territorial or maritime claims through the use of intimidation, coercion, force or any unilateral actions which would cause further friction," she said.

The United States has been urging the European Union to speak more forcefully about what Washington worries is Beijing's predatory approach to a waterway where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have rival claims.
But the European Union, despite its deep ties with the United States, has been reluctant to publicly criticise Beijing at a time when it is seeking up to $10 billion of Chinese investment in its new EU infrastructure fund to help revitalise the bloc's weak economy.

A week after Washington sent a U.S. naval destroyer to underscore its freedom of navigation and challenge China's claim to almost all the South China Sea, the European Union also faced the task of ensuring that the gathering of 50 Asian and European envoys was not completely overshadowed by the dispute.

The issue is so sensitive for Beijing that the EU-chaired summit could only produce a final summit statement that made no mention of the South China Sea, despite preparatory talks between Asian officials that diplomats described as very tense.

Placed on paragraph 22 of the 9-page statement, the 53 delegations agreed on the importance "of resolving maritime disputes through peaceful means."

n the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, senior PDP leader Muzzafar Hussain Baig on Friday urged him to send a clear message that "intolerance and communalism" will not be tolerated any more as the situation in the country was "worse than ever before".

Baig, a Lok Sabha MP, also told the Prime Minister not to lose out on the opportunity to send a clear message to the violators during his visit to J and K tomorrow. "I beseech you both to rise to the occasion and assure the people of the state and minorities of the country in general that communalism, intolerance and bigotry shall not be tolerated - never any more," Baig said in an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister and state Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed "Modi Sahib, if you cannot do it, then who can? Who shall?", he asked.
Baig said the sense of insecurity that prevails today in the only Muslim majority state of J and K has never been witnessed before. "Today, the general perception of the people of the state is that the only thing this alliance has so far achieved is further alienation, mistrust and cynicism," Baig said. He said the PDP was being accused of being "agents" who had some "hidden and dangerous agenda".

"The unfortunate environment of intolerance, leading to even ruthless killing of some members of minority community in Uttar Pradesh and some innocent Kashmiris in Jammu, has made Muslims, living in all regions of the state, extremely insecure," he said. The comments came on eve of visit of the Prime Minister to the state where he will be holding a public rally in the Valley and inaugurating the second phase of Baghlihar power project in Jammu.

The Nifty broke below the 8,000 level for the first time since Oct. 1, heading towards a sixth consecutive losing session after a private survey showed the manufacturing sector cooled to its slowest in nearly two years in October.

The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by Markit, fell to 50.7 in October from September's 51.2. The 50-mark divides expansion from contraction.

Falls in Asian markets also dented sentiment after soft Chinese factory surveys and U.S. consumer spending data raised concerns over the global economic outlook.

Meanwhile, Coffee Day Enterprises, the operator of India's biggest coffee chain, fell as much as 17 percent in its market debut on Monday, as investors fretted over a generous price tag they said underestimated concerns around its complex structure.

India's volatility index surged over 10 percent on Monday, its biggest single-day rise since Sept. 22.

"Overall the mood is cautious because since the last five days we are seeing losses," Alex Mathews, head of research at Geojit BNP Paribas, said.
The broader NSE index was trading 0.72 percent lower falling as much as 0.82 percent to 7,999.30 points, its lowest level since Oct 1.

The benchmark BSE index was down 0.8 percent falling as much as 0.96 percent. The index hit its lowest intraday level since Oct 5.

Industrial heavyweight Larsen & Toubro extended losses from the previous session and was down 2.3 percent after a slew of brokerages downgraded the stock on weak growth outlook.

L&T, seen as a bellwether of the domestic economy, on Friday halved the growth it expects in its order book in the current financial year.

Among other decliners, Bajaj Auto Ltd fell over 5 percent, hitting earlier its lowest level since Oct. 20, after reporting a 9 percent fall in total vehicle sales for October.

Apple has finally released its much awaited iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in India just in time for the festive season. There have been mixed reactions regarding the pricing strategy Apple has gone ahead with. Considering this is the ‘s’ variant of the iPhone, you will barely see any design changes on the outside, but there are a lot of architectural improvements under the hood.

Apple has released its phones at a time when the market is flooded with flagship phones from its Android competition. Although that is not such a concern for Apple as we have seen over the years from its sales numbers, the offerings from Samsung, Sony and even the Nexus line are nothing to scoff at. So let us check out the Apple iPhone 6s Plus 128GB variant and see if this is the flagship phone to go for.
The first thing that strikes you as you hold the iPhone 6s Plus in your hands is that it doesn’t look much different from its predecessor, the iPhone 6 Plus. Considering this is the ‘s’ variant of the iPhone release cycle, external changes are minimal. This time however, Apple has released a Rose Gold variant of the iPhone 6s Plus which we got for testing. For all practical purposes, this is a pink phone with a fancy name.

Thanks to the taptic engine housed inside the phone for the 3D touch interface on the display, the iPhone 6s Plus is slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus. It weighs around 192 grams and is 7.3mm thick. This is the only differentiating element as far as design is concerned from the previous generation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed Congress for protesting against 'rising intolerance', saying that it was on this very day in 1984 that the anti-Sikh riots began in Delhi.

"Do you remember November 2, 1984? What happened in Delhi? Sikhs were being killed... and ironically on November 2, the Congress talks of tolerance. Drown in shame!", he said at a rally in Purnea in Bihar.

"Congress has no right to talk about tolerance after 1984 anti-Sikh riots; they are enacting a drama", he added.

"Justice was never delivered to 1984 riot victims," said the PM.

The PM's remarks come ahead of a meeting between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi with President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday, where she is likely to raise concerns over 'rising intolerance' in the country. Writers, historians, scientists and businessmen have all launched scathing attacks on the Modi government in the past few weeks.

The PM is scheduled to address three more rallies in what is the campaigning for the last phase of Bihar elections.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has alleged there was a "systematic, orchestrated and vicious" campaign by opponents to target the BJP-led NDA even as he stressed that while fringe elements should be segregated, not everybody should be painted with the same brush.

"This is a systematic, orchestrated, vicious campaign across the country by our opponents for whatever reason. Some people are misled and some people are misleading them.

"This is not good for the country," the urban development minister said at a cultural event here in an apparent reference to the protest by authors, filmmakers and intellectuals over what they have charged is "growing intolerance" in the country.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) lashed out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned his stand on the growing intolerance in the country.

REET 2015 Exam in Rajasthan, REET Syllabus 2015 for level 1 & Level 2, BSER REET Exam Date 2015, Rajasthan REET Application form 2015, Download REET Sample Paper & RTET Previous Year Papers

REET Exam 2015 – it was big announcement for Rajasthan graduated youth who are looking job of 3rd grade teacher. Rajasthan government has announced that “” REET exam will be considered for 3rd grade teacher instead RTET”.Aspirants are searching REET syllabus & exam date 2015. Government & BSER is announced exam date. in the syllabus section, they are changed the syllabus and removed Rajasthan GK.  For your information this exam is equivalent to RTET. Anatomy of REET, RTET & BSER is mentioned below.

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When a Donald Trump look-alike rings the doorbell on Halloween night, he or she may solicit a piece of candy but the treat they really seek is recognition. Pop culture experts say ripped from the headlines costumes to celebrate the 31 October holiday - such as Cecil the lion - are a way for adults to connect in a world full of a myriad choices for information and entertainment.

We do have a lot of overlap between the two, both of, more traditional sell really well, pop culture sells really well. And our top ten costumes its a big mix between the two, said Sarah Chamberlain, Website strategist for Yandy.com.

While children typically dress up as witches and ghosts, the most popular costume this year among adults shopping on Yandy.com is The Optical Illusion Dress, the subject of an online debate that went viral over its colour. The hot seller is a compromise: half blue and black, half white and gold.
Also in high demand is Pizza Rat - a grey mini dress with a tail, hood, ears and two pepperoni pizza slice pockets - that is arguably sexier than the video of a New York City rat dragging a pizza slice down subway steps, shared more than 100,000 times on Twitter. The site is turning the killing of Zimbabwes Cecil the Lion by an American dentist into a good cause.

We were actually already making a lion costume this year and we decided, you know, when everything happened with Cecil, we wanted to do something good with it. So were offering 20% of the proceeds, which is basically all of our profits, are going to a wildlife charity. And it has this great furry hood, fun little romper and of course the little lion tail. A little sexiness with the romper bottom, said Chamberlain.

Some costumes are meant to touch a nerve, but some vendors say there are lines they will not cross. New York-based store Abracadabra and Yandy.com both decided against carrying a Caitlyn Jenner costume, featuring a shiny white padded bustier resembling the outfit the Olympic gold medallist and reality TV star wore to come out as transgender. Politicians are typically fair game and Yandy is having fun with its Donald Trump-like costume.

Alcatel has launched the successor to OneTouch Flash, Onetouch Flash 2 in India. The smartphone will be available starting October 20 exclusively on Flipkart but there's no word on the pricing.
The phone sports a 5-inch (720X1280p) IPS HD display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz octa-core processor and 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB internal storage and supports microSD card slots of up to 128GB for expansion. The phone has a 3,000mAh battery and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.

OneTouch Flash 2 sports a 13MP rear camera with auto-focus and a 5MP front-facing camera.

In terms of connectivity, the dual-sim phone offers 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS.

After SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali, people are gearing up to see Chimbu Deven’s Puli. The Tamil film stars Vijay along with Hansika Motwani, Shruti Haasan and Sridevi.

The venture is said to be an adventure fantasy and will see its release in September this year. The lead actors of the film Vijay, Shruti and Hansika were recently seen attending the audio launch where Hansika looked radiant in a brown saree which she teamed up with a printed blouse. The beauty accessioned  her traditional attire with a pair of big matching earrings and heavy eyeliner.

The actress here is seen standing next to Vijay who chose to show up in a casual shirt and pants.

Shruti Haasan on the other hand showed up in a gorgeous sequinned Anarkali which she teamed up with a beautiful maang bindi. Check out her picture:
BollywoodLife informed its viewers that the makers of Puli might take the route followed by Baahubali and release the film in a Hindi dubbed version. Considering the tremendous business Baahubali has done in north India, the Puli team is aiming to take a similar route and reach out to a wider audience. The Hindi dubbed version of Bahubali was distributed by Karan Johar under his Dharma Productions banner and inched close to the 100 crore mark in no time!

Is is being said that there are likely to be more CGI and VFX effects in Puli as compared to Baabahuli. What’s pending to be seen is how the audience will react to Puli after Baahubali’s massive success.

Will Puli be able to create the same magic? Let us wait and watch! Till then check out all the pics in the gallery above and tell us whose look you like the best!

Stock market investors on Monday gave a thumbs up to gem and jewellery stocks, thanks to the continuous fall in the yellow metal prices overseas. The precious metal sank to over five-year lows in global markets. Gold futures crashed as much as 4.6 per cent in the Asian markets, as China on Friday revised its official gold reserves upwards, marginally.

On the domestic market, gold prices fell below ₹25,000 per 10 grams on Monday, tumbling ₹524 in futures trade in early trades.

Shares of Shree Ganesh Jewellery House, Gitanjali Gems, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri, PC Jeweller, C Mahendra Exports, Rajesh Exports, and Vaibhav Global gained between 1 and 14 per cent. However, Titan Company fell 1.23 per cent to ₹344.9 on the BSE.

Gold ETFs feel the heat

Gold ETFs — exchange-traded funds on gold that follow the price of gold — fell between 0.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent. Kotak Gold ETF was the biggest loser crashing 4.7 per cent. On the other hand, Canara Robeco Gold ETF fell just 0.5 per cent on the NSE.

According to analysts, the fall in gold prices bodes well for jewellery stocks, as the inventory costs for these companies would fall, giving them better leverage in the coming festival season. Besides, the results season began on a good note for the sector. Thangamayil Jewellery reported a net profit of ₹3.63 crore for the quarter ended June on revenues of ₹300.16 crore. This compares with a loss of ₹3.69 crore for the March quarter and a loss of ₹3.98 crore for the June quarter of last fiscal.

Knee-jerk reaction

Amid these developments, some analysts have sounded a word of caution, too. According to Ramesh Chordia, independent analyst, Monday’s rise in jewellery shares is just a knee-jerk reaction, as the metal price fell below the psychological ₹25,000-mark.

It is better to wait for individual companies’ results before venturing into these shares, as some of the firms are sitting on huge debts, he added. “Also, the price of gold will fall further and it will be prudent for investors to buy these stocks once prices stabilise,” he said.

According to an analyst with a Mumbai-based commodity broking house who requested anonymity, the yellow metal price may not recover any time soon, as economic recovery in the US is now on strong footing.

Actress Taapsee Pannu, who has worked in the Hindi and the southern film industry, has been roped in as the first female brand ambassador for Japanese motorcycle and scooter manufacturing brand Honda.
"It is a brand that I was associated with even before I thought of becoming an actor. The first ever vehicle I ever drove was a Honda. Presently I own an Activa and Honda car as well. It's a landmark in not only my career, but my lifetime to be an ambassador of a brand of such supreme calibre," Taapsee told IANS.

On Wednesday, Honda launched two new editions of Aviator and Activa automatic scooters here.

 Maria Sharapova isn't afraid to star onto magazine photo shoots looking fierce and beautiful. The Russian has developed great confidence in front of the camera over the years, so much that in the past she also posed multiple times just wearing swim suits.
Recently the Russian starred in a new photo shoot, for magazine Harper's Bazaar. Looking sexy and stunning wearing gold, Maria is already getting into the fashionable London mood. Maria will also be opening her Sugarpova Exclusive Candy Lounge in London, right during the Championships of Wimbledon.

It seems a busy period for the Russian, who at Wimbledon will try to do better than last year's fourth round.  Sharapova hasn't reached the second week in London since 2011, which marks her last appearance into a Wimbledon final, losing to Petra Kvitova.

 Congress on Wednesday demanded that Smriti Irani resign as HRD minister after a trial court took cognizance of a complaint about her educational qualifications, the party taking pleasure in the fact that PM Narendra Modi's weapon to take on Rahul Gandhi was on the back foot.

AICC spokesman Ajay Maken said Irani could not be the minister in-charge of education when an inquiry seeking details from Delhi University about her degrees was on. "Is it not a conflict of interest? She should resign or the PM should remove her," he said.

Maken reminded that Congress had raised the issue immediately after the PM constituted his Cabinet as Irani's election affidavits had serious discrepancies with different claims about her degrees.

NSUI, the Congress's students' outfit, held a demonstration in front of Shastri Bhavan which houses the HRD ministry to seek Irani's resignation. Shouting slogans, NSUI members burnt her effigy. NSUI chief Roji John said, "It is an insult to the academic and student community that a person who is not clear about her own educational qualifications is the country's HRD minister. She must resign."
Congress is set to pile more pressure with the party's Delhi unit deciding to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar seeking Irani's resignation on Thursday.

For the party aggressively pursuing 'Modigate', the court observation on Irani has brought special relish that goes beyond the satisfaction of punching holes in BJP's claim of "scam-free" governance.

BJP had lately deployed Irani to take on Rahul after the latter's post-sabbatical aggression against Modi government, especially the PM, in Parliament.

Irani's forays into Rahul's constituency Amethi reflected a strategy to tie down Rahul to his seat and cut down on his national campaign. The HRD minister contested unsuccessfully against Rahul in the 2014 polls. After Rahul accused the Centre of "politics of revenge" for cancelling the food park in Amethi, Irani held a rally in the UP town attacking the Congress leader. She then challenged that "the Gandhis would be seeing more of me in Amethi".

Major announcement from Beyonce! That’s what she teased a few days ago. Turns out it was another opportunity to free her fans from some hard-earned money. Also, a reason to post some online pics of her in a swimsuit.

That special announcement? She started a vegan delivery service with personal trainer Marco Borges and a new diet plan, “22 Days Nutrition”. This Borges quack started a ‘revolutionary’ 22-day diet that’s “based around a whole-food plant-based diet, and bans meat, eggs, dairy, alcohol and processed foods for 22 days – the length of time it is thought to take to build new food habits.” Bsically, they say 21 days to break bad habits and the 22nd day to start a new, hoepfully healthier, habit.
Wannnnk. Here’s a tip, eat in moderation and don’t stuff your face with bad shit. If it comes in a package, it’s not good for you. And alcohol has a ton of calories. Do people really need Beyonce to teach them this? Sadly, yes.

These people will line up to shove their money into Beyonce’s face as if she was a deity. Are they gonna rub her belly for good luck also? If there’s any justice in this world, this new delivery service will fail, just like Jay-Z’s arrogant streaming service, Tidal.

At least six persons were killed and around 100 others complained of breathing problems when an ammonia gas tanker leaked early on Saturday near Ludhiana, police said.

The leak occurred when the tanker got stuck under a flyover on the Doraha bypass along a canal, about 25 kms from Ludhiana, according to the police.

Six persons died after inhaling the leaked gas. Doraha Police Station's SHO Rajnish Kumar Sood said the bodies have been shifted to a hospital in Ludhiana. Around 100 others complained of breathing problems, he added.
The affected people have been admitted to different hospitals in Doraha, Khanna and Ludhiana, the SHO said.

Residents in the area were forced to vacate their homes when the gas from the tanker spread in and around Doraha, police said.

The tanker had Gujarat registration number, according to the police. Police officers have rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

More details are awaited. Identities of the victims are yet to be ascertained, the police said. 

 People in Pakistan are living longer, but not happily.

It is not a political statement but the finding of a worldwide study that the longer living Pakistanis are spending more time in ill health.

International researchers working for the Global Burden of Disease project reported that in 2013 migraines, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes were among the 10 leading causes of ‘years lived with disability’ (YLDs) in Pakistan.

Other leading causes included hearing loss, anxiety disorders and neck pain.

Titled “1990-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013” the study was led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, and is based on data of 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries.
Death rates are falling faster than those of nonfatal diseases and injuries

People are living longer in Pakistan despite spending more time in ill health because rates of non-fatal diseases and injuries decline more slowly than death rates, the study explained.

For both sexes combined, the leading causes of YLDs remained largely the same during the period 1990-2013. But they take an increased toll on health due to population growth and aging, it said.
It also shows that musculoskeletal disorders – which include shoulder injuries and fractures from osteoporosis – have replaced diarrheal diseases as a leading cause of YLDs for Pakistani women. In the 23 years the study covers, iron-deficiency anemia at 11 per cent was the smallest percentage increase among the top causes of YLDs while musculoskeletal disorders as the cause increased by 163 per cent, and diabetes by 170 per cent.

Diabetes YLDs for men in Pakistan increased by 100 per cent and depression by 94 per cent during those years, while that from iron-deficiency anemia declined by 9 per cent.

“The health of Pakistanis is increasingly threatened by non-communicable diseases such as depression, chronic back pain, and migraines,” said Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, co-author of the study and founding director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at the Aga Khan University in Karachi.

“At the same time, diseases like iron-deficiency anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes are also costing people in Pakistan many years of healthy life. It is critical that we understand which diseases and injuries are causing disability so that we can effectively allocate resources for national planning,” Professor Bhutta added.

The iPhone 6 has been more successful than previous versions of the smartphone at drawing Android users away from Google’s mobile platform, and Apple wants to capitalize on that with a new app that makes it easier for them to make the switch.

Later this year, a new “Move to iOS” app will wirelessly transfer a user’s “contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, wallpaper, and DRM-free songs and books” from an Android phone to their new iPhone.

The switching process will also suggest that they install free apps from their Android device that are also available on Apple’s App Store, so switchers can quickly get back on their feet with their favorite apps like Facebook and Twitter. Paid apps that they have on Android with iOS versions available will be added to a user’s wish list in the iOS App Store.
According to Apple, the whole process will be handled “securely” so that a user’s personal information doesn’t get exposed. It’s not clear exactly how the process works yet, and how aggressive Apple will be when it comes to migrating users away from Google’s services. For example, it’s possible that the process will move all of the contacts a user has stored with Google over to iCloud—Apple hasn’t said one way or another.

Once the process is done, the Android app will helpfully prompt users to recycle their Android phone, just to keep them from going back to Google’s mobile platform unless they buy a new phone.

The app wasn’t announced on stage Monday morning during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, but it appeared on the promotional page the company created to show off its new mobile operating system ahead of its launch later this year.

Movie sequels are all too often horribly musty affairs. Tanu Weds Manu Returns isn't one.

Notwithstanding the stray false notes that the film strikes, especially in the run-up to the climax, it is a bright and breezy romp that draws sustenance from its droll dialogues, outstanding cast of actors and all-round jollity.

The film hits the ground running, cruises along like a song until its final moments, where it comes close to losing its way just a tad.

But one leaves the auditorium with a smile on the face, having witnessed the misadventures of an array of flawed but loveably high-spirited characters who thrive on confusion.

Yes, it's frothy, but this is fluff that is rooted in recognisable and relatable settings.

In Himanshu Sharma's busy screenplay, little nuances of culture and language - which obviously vary wildly from the bylanes of Kanpur to the precincts of Delhi University to the rustic ambience of Haryana - are underscored with love, care and precision.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns revolves around an unintentionally dangerous London- meets-Jhajjar liaison.

So ominous threats are made by some quarters, but nobody whips out a gun or goes for the kill or hurls ugly invectives.
This is infinitely more velvety than the much-hyped mess that we were subjected to last week.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns, which takes off exactly from where its 2011 predecessor left, exudes an air of welcome freshness. For the most part, the film eschews excess.

The stage for the comic rigmarole is set by a preliminary sequence staged in an ante-room of a British mental asylum where Tanu and Manu, now wedded for four desultory years, have a go at each other like a pair of Kilkenny cats.

Their marriage is on the rocks and the love that brought them together against all odds has evaporated.

Launching a broadside at Manu, Tanu accuses him of being devoid of any spark. I am not a lighter, he retorts.

Manu, on his part, complains to the psychiatric counsellor that Tanu suffers from bipolar disorder and has hormonal issues. She is too moody and demanding, he asserts.

The unseemly fracas ends in an insane-with-rage Manu being dragged away by the asylum attendants and placed under observation.

Tanu calls Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal) to head to London and rescue his friend while she flies back to Kanpur.

Kangana Ranaut, in a magnificently effective double role, powers the comic drama forward with an effortless act that requires her to embody two diametrically divergent faces of Eve in small-town India.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns vindicates the general belief that Kangana is currently in a zone where she can do no wrong.

On one hand she is the bubbly and recklessly rebellious Kanpur girl Tanuja Trivedi alias Tanu who walks out on her "boring" London doctor-hubby Manu Sharma (R Madhavan) on a whim and returns to her hometown.

On the other she embodies the no-nonsense persona of Kusum Sangwan alias Datto, the feisty sports quota Delhi University student from Jhajjar who is a carbon copy of Tanu but for her buck teeth, pixie bob and unalloyed Haryanvi diction.

The first visit of All India Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to Telangana has come as a major confidence booster for the state Congress. The huge response has buoyed the party leaders and cadre, especially it was the first major event organized by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee after the state bifurcation.

The Congress has not conducted any major event after its debacle in the general election except some rallies against shifting of TB and Chest hospital in the city and power crisis.

There had been a feeling among the Congress leaders that there was a lull in party activity for the past 11 months and that the cadre needed a fresh dose of enthusiasm. Rahul Gandhi's visit to Adilabad appeared to have done the trick.
The party members had started making arrangements for Rahul's visit two weeks ago, erecting banners and flexies all along the national highway up to Nirmal and peppering the town with party tri-colour flags and cut-outs of Rahul. Same was the scene along the padayatra route.

Congress workers and locals waited till well past Thursday midnight in front of the hotel in Nirmal town, where Rahul Gandhi was staying, to try and catch a glimpse of the leader. The police faced a tough time in clearing the gathering in view of the security requirements.

"The party should conduct such big programmes to take up people's problems and issues at least once in three months. The workers were inactive in the past 11 months and these programmes would definitely boost their morale and confidence," Ramesh Nagul, a farmer from Nirmal said.

Actress Shruti Haasan has reportedly been roped in for the third installment of the 'Singam' franchise. The film, which will be helmed by Hari Gopalakrishnan, also features Suriya and Anushka Shetty in the lead roles.

"Shruti is most likely to play the second lead. While she agreed to be part of the project, the paperwork is still pending. She's expected to sign on the dotted line soon," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Director Hari had planned to include Shruti in 'Singam 3' after he was impressed with her work in their last Tamil outing
Shruti Haasan bags role in 'Singam 3'

"The film is expected to go on the floors in September. Anirudh Ravichander will be composing tunes, while comedian Soori has been cast in an important role," the source said.

Suriya, who is currently busy with Tamil thriller '24', will join the sets from September onwards

Armored vehicles lined this battered city’s main thoroughfares and thousands of law enforcement officers and National Guard troops worked to maintain order and enforce a citywide curfew Tuesday night, amid scattered reports of unrest after a day of largely peaceful protests.

As the curfew went into effect at 10 p.m., hundreds of people remained in the streets near the intersection of Pennsylvania and West North Avenues in blighted West Baltimore, where a CVS drugstore had been looted and burned during Monday night’s riots. There were some reports of arrests, and police fired pepper-spray balls to disperse crowds, who had earlier stood their ground despite entreaties from religious leaders and community activists.

Shortly before midnight, Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts declared the curfew a success.

Earlier Tuesday night, nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Empowerment Temple A.M.E. Church, where about 500 religious leaders of different faiths called for healing. Members of the audience spoke about a litany of problems plaguing the city and called for better policing, policies to create jobs, and better schools.
But out in the streets, there were intermittent clashes with police, as some threw bottles at a line of officers behind riot shields.

The tense mood Tuesday night was a stark contrast to the almost upbeat feeling earlier in the day, as hundreds of people of all ages and races — many of them toting brooms and trash bags — worked to clear the neighborhood of rocks and debris.

In the late afternoon, peaceful demonstrators marched through the streets, chanting, “All night, all day, we’re gonna fight for Freddie Gray!” — a reference to the 25-year-old black man whose death, from a spinal cord injury sustained in police custody, set off rioting on Monday night.

“It’s sad, this don’t make no sense,” said Clarence Cobb, 48, one of many neighborhood residents who, describing themselves as brokenhearted, came out to survey the wreckage and clean up. “It comes to a point where you just got to take pride in your own neighborhood. This makes us look real bad as a city.”

Defying international condemnation and rejecting 11th-hour pleas for clemency, the Indonesian government executed eight drug convicts after midnight on Wednesday, including seven foreigners.

But the execution of a ninth convict, scheduled to happen at the same time, was unexpectedly postponed at nearly the last minute, according to the Indonesian attorney general’s office.

The executed prisoners, from Australia, Brazil and Nigeria, along with one Indonesian, were shot by police firing squads about 12:25 a.m. local time at a site outside the gates of Pasir Putih prison on the island of Nusa Kambangan off the southern coast of Java, according to the attorney general’s office.

The authorities granted the stay of execution to Mary Jane Veloso, 30, a Philippine citizen, after the Philippine government requested her assistance in a human trafficking case involving a woman who surrendered to the Philippine police on Tuesday.
Continue reading the main story
    The family of Mary Jane Veloso, who is among a group of prisoners facing execution, on its way to visit her on Saturday.
    Despite Protests, Indonesia Moves Forward to Execute Drug ConvictsAPRIL 25, 2015
    Andrew Chan and, behind, Myuran Sukumaran, in 2006, were said to have been flown to an island where people are executed.
    Countries Questioning Indonesia’s Push to Execute Drug OffendersMARCH 3, 2015
    World Briefing: Indonesia: 6 Executed for Drug OffensesJAN. 18, 2015

“An alleged perpetrator of human trafficking gave herself up, and Mary Jane’s testimony is needed,” Tony Spontana, a spokesman for the Indonesian attorney general, wrote in a text message shortly after the executions were carried out. “Eight people were executed, but not Mary Jane,” he wrote.

While his ongoing legal woes have not come to an end yet, Bollywood star Salman Khan seems to have landed in trouble again.

Now, Ravindra Dwivedi, a member of Brashtachaar Nirmoolan Samiti has lodged a complaint against Salman for assaulting him and snatching away his important documents, reports The Indian Express.

According to the complainant, the incident took place in November last year, when he was aboard a Mumbai-Delhi flight. Salman got into a fight with him, abused him and ordered his bodyguards to take away all the important documents which he possessed.
Following the complaint, Magistrate AD Lokhande has directed the airport police to investigate the matter and lodge an FIR against Salman if he is guilty.

If the allegations are proved to be true, Salman will be booked under IPC section 323 for causing hurt, IPC section 504 for insult with intention to provoke breach of peace, IPC section 506 for criminal intimidation and IPC section 392 for robbery.

If you are suffering from impotence or erectile dysfunction, reaching out for Viagra and other related drugs may help you increase the levels of your sexual activity, but not satisfaction, suggests a new research.

Moreover, people suffering from erectile dysfunction have higher odds of suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes.

Viagra and other related drugs, clinically known as oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), cannot address these associated concerns, the researchers pointed out, suggesting that restoring erectile dysfunction (ED) pharmacologically is not a 'cure-all'.
"It is important that health professionals act on this and offer a more rounded approach to managing ED," said lead author of the study David Lee from the University of Manchester in Britain.

This should include a well-informed patient with realistic expectations, support from his partner, and an improved assessment of any psychological or relationship issues that may exacerbate sexual concerns and dissatisfaction, Lee pointed out.

The researchers studied the responses of more than 2,600 English men aged 50-87 years.
Older men who had recently used PDE5i drugs reported higher levels of sexual activity and function than men without ED, but were more likely to be concerned and/or dissatisfied with their sex lives.

AAP dissident leader Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday rubbished criticism by former AAP spokesperson Atishi Marlena that he backed out of the reconciliatory talks with Arvind Kejriwal camp on his father Shanti Bhushan's insistence, saying the negotiations collapsed due to "trust deficit".

In a letter to a section of AAP leaders, Marlena, a Rhodes scholar who was close to the rebel camp, suggested that both sides were nearing truce but the talks broke down at the final phase as the senior Bhushan said "no" to any reconciliation with Kejriwal.

"It is not correct to say that negotiations broke down because of my father Shanti Bhushan. The talks failed as there was trust deficit," Bhushan said when asked about Marlena's letter.
Prashant Bhushan rejects Atishi Marlena's claim that Shanti opposed truce

Bhushan said Atishi was not aware about the details of the deliberations with the Kejriwal emissaries as she was not present during the negotiations.
#aap #prashant bhushan #arvind kejriwal #shanti bhushan aap rift
Marlena, who was removed as AAP Spokesperson along with several others including Yogendra Yadav, said that Bhushan backed out because of his father's red flag and not on the grounds of any principle.

The reconciliatory talks between the rebels and Kejriwal camp had broken down on March 26, two days before the national council meeting which had expelled Bhushan and Yadav from the party's National Executive.

Both Bhushan and Yadav have been maintaining that Kejriwal was determined to remove them from the National Executive and the talks were being continued to project a positive of image of himself to the volunteers.

Bhushan said Atishi was not aware about the details of the deliberations with the Kejriwal emissaries as she was not present during the negotiations.

The noted lawyer said he and Yadav have already sent their responses to Marlena on the issue.

In the letter, Marlena complimented AAP leader Sanjay Singh for trying to build a consensus between the two warring factions.

Bhushan and Yadav have convened a meeting of the volunteers and their supporters on April 14 to chalk out their future course of action.